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Money, money, now hay goode day!
Money, where haste thow be?
Money, money, thow gost away
And wylt not byde wyth me.
Above all thing thow arte a kyng,
And rulyst the world over all;
Who lakythe the, all joy, pardé,
Wyll sone then frome hym ffall!
In every place thow makyste solas,
Gret joye, spoorte, and uelfare;
When money ys gone, comfort ys none,
But thowght, sorowe, and care.
In kynges corte, where money dothe route,
Yt makyth the galandes to jett,
And for to were gorgeouse ther gere, 1
Ther cappes awry to sett.
In the heyweyes ther joly palfreys 2
Yt makyght to lepe and praunce,
It maket justynges, pleys, dysguysynges,
Ladys to synge and daunce.
For he that alway wantyth money
Stondyth a mated chere,
Can never wel syng, lang daunce nor springe,
Nor make no lusty chere. 3
At cardes and dyce yt bereth the pryce,
As kyng and emperoure;
At tables, tennes, and al othere games,
Money hathe ever the floure.
Wythe squyer and knyght and every wyghte
Money maketh men fayne;
And causeth many in sume compeney
Theyr felowes to dysdayne.
In marchandys who can devyse
So good a ware, I say?
At al tymys the best ware ys
Ever redy money.
Money to incresse, marchandys never to cease
Wyth many a sotell wyle;
Men say the wolde for sylver and golde
Ther owne faders begyle.
Women, I trowe, love money also
To by them joly gere;
For that helpythe and oft causethe
Women to loke full fayre.
In Westmyaster Hall the criers call;
The sergeauntes plede apace.
Attorneys appere, now here, now ther,
Renning in every place.
Whatesoever he be, and yf that he
Whante money to plede the lawe,
Do whate he cane in ys mater than
Shale prove not worthe a strawe.
I know yt not, but well I wotte
I have harde often tymys tell,
Prestes use thys guyse, ther benefyce
For moyeny to bey and sell.
Craftysmen that be in every cyté,
They worke and never blynne;
Sum cutte, sume shave, sume knoke, sum grave,
Only money to wynne.
The plowman hymselfe dothe dyge and delve
In storme, snowe, frost, and rayne,
Money to get with laboure and swete,
Yet small geynes and muche peyne.
And sume for money lye by the wey
Another mannes purse to gett;
But they that long use yt amonge
Ben hangyd by the neke.
The beggers eke in every strete
Ly walowyng by the wey;
They begge, the crye, oft the cume by,
And all ys but for money.
In every coste men love yt moste,
In Ynglonde, Spayne, and Francs,
For every man lackyng yt than
Is clene owte of countenaunce.
Of what degré so ever he be,
Of werteouse conyng he have,
And wante moné, yet men wyll sey,
That he ys but a knave.
Where indede, so God me spede,
Sey all men whate they cane;
Yt ys allwayes sene nowadayes
That money makythe the man.
finis
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have a
been
rule; everywhere
worships thee; by God
soon; from; (see note)
comfort; (see note)
diversion; prosperity
anxiety; (see note)
court; gather
gallants; swagger; (see note)
(see note)
causes
jousts; masquerades; (see note)
always lacks; (see note)
flustered countenance; (see note)
long; (see note)
(see note)
backgammon, tennis; (see note)
is foremost
person; (see note)
eager
(see note)
merchandise
defense
(see note)
subtle ruse
they; (see note)
deceive; (see note)
buy; apparel
(see note)
Westminster; (see note)
barristers
(see note)
Running
(see note)
Lacks; plead
Whatever he can do in his lawsuit then
(see note)
know
heard
buy; (see note)
Guildsmen; (see note)
cease
hammer; engrave; (see note)
dig; (see note)
sweat
gains; (see note)
wait in ambush
get
neck
Lie wallowing
they; (see note)
country
England; France
Is utterly humiliated
useful scholarship
If [he] lacks money; (see note)
(see note)
whatever they can
(see note)
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